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The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Braised Pork Shoulder with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

Top 10 favorite foods: Pulled pork makes my list. Juicy, tender,
low-and-slow-cooked meat is worth the 2-1/2 to 3 hours it needs to become
wonderfully succulent—and that allows plenty time to make a rich, savory chile
sauce to go with it.

I think dried chiles make some of the most flavorful of all sauces. Their complex, smoky, sometimes hot, sometimes mild flavors belie the fact that they’re very easy to work with—the key is simply reconstituting their softness in
hot water. Once soft, chop them very finely before blending them with
other savory ingredients in a food processor, and you’re ready to go. Doesn’t
get much better.

Note: New
Mexico chiles are very mild, so there’s not much heat in this sauce, even with
the habanero I added. There’s more of a deep, smoky chile flavor, not spiciness.
If you’d like some heat, try ranchero sauce—similar in preparation, but made
with fiery little chiles de arbol.

Another note: This
pulled pork with chile sauce is very versatile, so how you serve it is up to
you. Make simple tacos or stuff burritos or enchiladas…spoon it over cooked
rice or stir it into black beans and rice…serve it as a main dish meat with
mashed potatoes on the side…pile it on a sandwich bun topped with coleslaw and
call it a southern barbecue sandwich…you get the picture.

Combine the first 4 ingredients (through cumin) in a small bowl and
season with salt. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. Cover and
refrigerate at least 2 hours (or overnight). Let stand at room temperature 30
minutes before continuing.

Spice Rub

Spice-Rubbed Pork

Preheat the oven to 275° F.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive
oil. Place 1/2 the pork in the pan and sear until browned, 4-5 minutes per
side. Transfer to a plate and sear the rest of the pork with the remaining 1
tablespoon of oil.

Return the 1st batch of pork to the pan, with any accumulated juices.
Add the broth and season with salt. Cover tightly and braise in the oven until
fork-tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours, turning once halfway through.

Transfer the pork to a plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Pour
the liquid from the pan but do not wipe. Pull the pork into shreds, discarding
any fatty parts, and return to the pan.

Serve the pork and sauce with warm tortillas, mounded on sandwich rolls,
over spooned over rice, or however you choose.

Braised Pork Shoulder with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

For the Chile Sauce

Remove the stems and tear each dried chile into 3 or 4
pieces. (Shake out any loose seeds, if desired.) Place the chile pieces in a
saucepan and add 2 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer
10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Drain the chiles in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup
cooking liquid. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a
cutting board and chop very finely (until virtually pulverized). Place in a
food processor and add the reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set aside.

Re-heat the saucepan over medium-low heat and add the
olive oil. Add the garlic, habanero, and onion and sauté 4 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin and season
with salt. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low
and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool 10
minutes.

Add the broth mixture to the food processor with the chile
mixture. Process until well blended and the solids are finely chopped to a
smooth texture.

Torn New Mexico Chiles

Softened Chiles

Finely Chopped

Vegetables Beginning to Cook

Broth Mixture

New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

(If
made a day ahead, transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate overnight.)

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About Me

I'm an editor for a university marketing department and an avid home cook. I love creating recipes to share, and since I cook nearly every day, my resources are plentiful. I've published more than 650 recipes and food articles online.